TV star Brian Dowling Gourounlian and Dancing with the Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian are having a baby, and Brian’s younger sister Aoife is their surrogate.
Tonight, in the hugely anticipated one-off documentary, Brian & Arthur’s Very Modern Family, viewers will see how the couple coped with the highs and lows of their journey to parenthood, while Aoife deals with pregnancy-related carpal tunnel and prepares both mentally and physically for the birth.
The show chronicles Brian, Arthur, and Aoife’s incredible experience from learning that they’re going to have a baby, to shopping 'til they drop to designing their dream nursery, to them toasting their impending arrival with all their friends at the glamorous baby shower through to the delivery at the National Maternity Hospital as Baby Blake is born by caesarian section.
"I think, no matter what people tell you or the advice they give you - which is really lovely - you can only take so much on board until you physically have the baby in your arms," Brian tells me over the phone, reflecting on his journey as a father over the past six months.
"I kind of regret being so worried and I wish I could have enjoyed her more when she was smaller; I was just so focused on getting her into a routine, and feeding her every three to four hours, and changing her, and doing all that. I was so worried about anything happening to her."
"There was one worrier and one person saying 'it'll be fine'," laughs Arthur, explaining that their parenting styles complement each other nicely.
"Every time I see her with Brian, literally, I could cry because of the happiness it brings to us."
The couple, who married in 2015, has been very open about their surrogacy journey, with Arthur speaking with Ryan Tubridy on RTÉ Radio 1 back in May to share the happy news.
Unfortunately, the response from the public was not always positive, with the two receiving vitriolic and homophobic comments online.
"I do feel, with the documentary, it's almost like we're almost riling them all up again," says Brian. "As much as we're so excited, I am a bit apprehensive regarding the negativity and the trolling we're going to get."
"We cannot make them like us," adds Arthur. "We know this will always be there so we just have to be strong. Brian takes it more to heart whereas I try not to let it get to me."
Brian agrees, saying: "When it's about your family or your husband or your baby or your sister who is your surrogate, I do take that very... it hurts and I've had to step back. We've been accused of being traffickers and of being perverts. It's so heavy."
Reflecting on the complicated nature of starting a family, gay or straight, Arthur says he wanted to help other couples who may be struggling with a similar situation.
"I've said from the beginning, if this documentary can help one, two, three, four couples to go through what we went through then my job is done. It is possible. It's hard but it's possible."
Brian adds: "I think what this documentary does is kind of lift the veil so people can see the real struggle of two gay men just trying to have a family."
Brian & Arthur's Very Modern Family is set to air Monday 13th March, 9:35 pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
